William C. Tracy

Entertaining novella!

Revisado: 06-08-23

I've read some of Thakrar's work before, so I was interested to listen to this one as well. It deals with a headstrong main character and her potential boyfriend discovering the moon garden. I was surprised and excited that the story gets into the litRPG realm just a little bit.
While some of the decisions and transitions felt a little rushed, the overall story was entertaining, even if I wanted to shake the main character sometimes because she wouldn't see what was right in front of her. Go give this one a try!

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An Epic Space Opera Science Fiction

Revisado: 05-17-22

Read for SPSFC finalists!

Overall Thoughts
Are you looking for a truly epic sci fi space opera? This is a good one. From space battles, robots, and time dilation, to aliens, telepathy, and cool creatures, this book has almost everything. It feels epic in its time scale as well, covering over three hundred years in a way, but also in a span of four years for the main story. My only complaint for this book is that it might be a little too epic. There are a few scenes I think could have been cut to heighten the overall tension, and sometimes there were lengthy descriptions of events during action scenes that didn’t really add anything, as well as changes in POV to tell what another character was thinking. But in general, this story drew me in and kept me engaged.

Plot
The story has a unique structure in the beginning, where it covers one family in Earth’s solar system three hundred years before the main story timeframe, and another family already on a distant planet. Those still in our solar system are fleeing a cyborg race intent on destroying humans, while those on the planet have to find a cure for a disease which will stop their lungs if they breathe the air. The narrative reverses later, catching the humans on the planet up to when those from our solar system arrive. And this is all before the main part of the story starts! There are dealings with native aliens, lots of cool creatures, and of course the eponymous sirens. Looking back, this book covers a lot of ground, but still leaves some loose ends for the rest of the series to use. The sequel is out and the third book is coming out very soon, both of which I’d be interested in reading!

Setting
The story really shines here. The author is also a previsualization artist and it shows in the care taken in how plants and animals are described, glimpses into the ecosystem, and how the native aliens’ culture works. The planet this takes place on is a vibrant place, which the human settlers are just starting to discover. There is a lot of room for surprises in the story when something works a little different than expected. However, I will say sometimes the description bogs down the story just a bit. For example, there’s an extended section dealing with one character training to be a scout which could probably have been shortened or cut as it doesn’t have the biggest effect on the story’s outcome.

Character
As with a lot of the epic science fictions, especially dealing with multiple subjects, the character development sometimes suffers for this. This book does a good job of watching the action from several points of view, but generally keeping to the most important characters. There is a romance in here, but I felt it was overshadowed by the rest of the events and wasn’t as impactful as it could have been. However, the characters are distinct, and even if they don’t always get as much screentime as I wanted, their objectives are clear, for both heroes and villains, which is a big part of making relatable characters. There’s even a bit of LGBTQ representation. Not much, but some. In all, this was a very enjoyable romp across a strange new planet, and I’d be interested to read the sequels.

Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
An epic science fiction space opera that covers everything from killer robots to alien telepathy and diverse ecosystems! 8.75/10.

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Necromantic Space Opera with Gallows Humor

Revisado: 12-05-19

One of the best space opera books I've listened to in a while.
Noting some of the other reviews, I will say this starts a bit slow, but it's all about character building, and if Gideon's way of thinking and speaking doesn't draw you in right away, well then this book might not be right for you. I absolutely loved it. There is a gallows humor spread throughout the story (because how else are you going to handle a society of necromancers), but the characters always shine through, and the descriptions of various necromantic arts are visceral and amazing.
I highly recommend this and I'm looking forward to the next one!

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An excellent thriller with no supernatural element

Revisado: 11-20-19

I've enjoyed the science fiction and fantasy elements in Dan Wells' books in the past, so I wasn't sure what to expect for his first with no supernatural or futuristic elements. He did not disappoint! Ghost Station is a story set in the earliest days of the Berlin Wall, and is just as tense and exciting as any of Wells' other books, if not more so. The detail to period technology and ciphers made the story very interesting, and the characters come through to make you very concerned for their welfare. In all, an excellent story!

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A fusion of Harry Potter and classical music!

Revisado: 11-11-19

This was a very fun read about a school for music magic. It's got heavy vibes of Harry Potter, but has its own personality and story. The characters were very real and the worldbuilding was quite good, especially referencing various pieces of classical music. Listening to it on audiobook was great because I also got to hear all the pieces as they happen in the book. Lots of fun and a great story with a lot of heart and some deep themes.

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Home Alone meets Ender's Game!

Revisado: 12-17-18

This was an excellent mid-grade adventure, like a mashup of Home Alone and Ender's Game. This audiobook also has an full cast, which really helps visualize the different characters. There was plenty of science in the story too, with plenty for adults to enjoy. Looking forward to other adventures with Zero!

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